Olfactory cues of habitats facilitate learning about landscapes of fear

Abstract

As animals move through their environment, they must respond to different levels of predation risk in different habitats. We demonstrate that tadpoles use habitat odors to learn about the overall risk associated with specific habitats. Tadpoles adjusted their antipredator behavior to match the risk experienced in different habitats, becoming neophobic (fearful of novel odors) in high-risk habitats. However, responses were not consistent across habitat types, and tadpoles did not use habitat cues when learning about predators.